Before going to dinner, Miller was working on his son's pickup truck in the garage, using a light attached to an extension cord. He said he thinks he left the light on when he left and that caused the fire.

"I goofed up," Miller said.

Miller has insurance, but he doubts it will cover the cost of the garage, truck and thousands of dollars worth of tools destroyed in the blaze. "It is a total loss," he said.

No one was hurt in the fire, which is what's important, Miller said. "It is just material stuff," he said. "That's the way I try to look at it."

Miller said he plans to write a letter to the fire department, thanking the firefighters for their work.

Brandon Johansson can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 213, or bjohansson@craigdailypress.com.